Atonement and sacrifice

The word atonement, which suggests ‘making reparation for an offence', has at its root the idea of being ‘at one' or ‘reconciled'. In the Bible, the term atonement usually refers to doing whatever is necessary to be reconciled to, or at one with, God.

Sacrifice and atonement in the Old Testament

In the first part of the Old Testament, those who had offended God sought to appease him by offering a sacrifice. The writer of Leviticus outlined the strict laws that should be followed in such cases. For example, the people of Israel were instructed that, if a person committed a sin (see Big ideas: Sin), he should bring a goat or a she-lamb, ‘lay his hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered' (Leviticus 4:33). See Big ideas: Sheep, shepherd, lamb; Goats; and Blood.

The Bible also records (Leviticus 16:20-22) that there should be a special day of atonement for sin, when the priest should lay his hands on the head of a live goat, confessing the sins of the people. Then the goat, known as the scapegoat, should be sent out into the wilderness, ceremonially and symbolically carrying away the sins of everyone.

‘These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a human being' (Isaiah 66:2-3).

Sacrifice and atonement in the New Testament

God had made it clear that the punishment for sin is death. Consequently, in the New Testament, the death of JesusChrist is seen as the sacrifice which takes that punishment, or atones for the sins of the world. The fact that Jesus came alive again, overcoming death at the resurrection, offers the hope of redemption, that human beings may be forgiven and reconciled with God (see Big ideas: Redemption, salvation).

However, the imagery of the New Testament picks up the Old Testament images of sacrificing an animal, and because lambs were traditionally seen as innocent, Christ is often referred to as a sacrificial lamb. (See Big ideas: Sheep, shepherd, lamb.) In the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, the writer has a vision (see Big ideas: Dreams, visions and prophecy) of Christ in heaven, as ‘a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne … and the twenty-four elders sang a new song: ‘You are worthy … because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation' (Revelation 5:6; Revelation 5:8-9).

Holy Communion

The shedding of Christ's blood as atonement for sinful human beings is commemorated in the most important service in the Christian church, the Holy Communion, Eucharist or mass. The night before he died, Jesus gave his disciples wine (see Big ideas: Vine, vineyard) to drink, telling them that it was ‘my blood which is shed for you'. Then he offered them bread, ‘my body, which is given for you.'

In the Book of Common Prayer, which has been used in the Church of England and other churches which are part of the Anglican Church, for four and a half centuries, there is a prayer which refers to Jesus as such a sacrifice. The prayer comes immediately before the believers receive the bread and the wine, and refers to God, in the person of his son, being the sacrifice as an atonement for sin, ‘Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption; who made … a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice ... for the sins of the whole world.' (See Big ideas: Last Supper, communion, eucharist, mass.)

1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them,3if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.4He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord.5And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting,6and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary.7And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the Lord that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.8And all the fat of the bull of the sin offering he shall remove from it, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails9and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys10(just as these are taken from the ox of the sacrifice of the peace offerings); and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.11But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung - 12all the rest of the bull - he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up.13If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt,14when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting.15And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord.16Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting,17and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil.18And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.19And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar.20Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.21And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.22When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt,23or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish,24and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering.25Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.26And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.27If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt,28or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed.29And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.30And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.31And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.32If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish33and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.34Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.35And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the Lord's food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:3If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.4And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD.5And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:6And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary.7And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.8And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,9And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,10As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.11And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,12Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.13And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;14When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.15And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.16And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:17And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.18And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.19And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.20And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.21And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.22When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty;23Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:24And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering.25And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.26And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.27And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty;28Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.29And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.30And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.31And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.32And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.33And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.34And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:35And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

English Standard Version

King James Version

1The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died,2and the Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.3But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.4He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.5And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.6Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.7Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting.8And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.9And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering,10but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.11Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself.12And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil13and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.14And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.15Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.16Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.17No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel.18Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.19And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.20And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat.21And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.22The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.23Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there.24And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.25And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.26And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.27And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. Their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned up with fire.28And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.29And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.30For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.31It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.32And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father's place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments.33He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.34And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins. And Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses.

1And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;2And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.3Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.5And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.6And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.7And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.9And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.10But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.11And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:12And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:13And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:14And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.15Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:16And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.17And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.18And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.19And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.20And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:21And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:22And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.23And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:24And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.25And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.26And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.27And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.28And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.29And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:30For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.31It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.32And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:33And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.34And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

English Standard Version

King James Version

1Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?2All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.3He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations;4I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.5Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy; but it is they who shall be put to shame.6The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies!7Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son.8Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.9Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord; shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb? says your God.10Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her;11that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance.12For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees.13As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.14You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.15For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.16For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.17Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord.18For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory,19and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.20And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.21And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.22For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain.23From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.24And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

1Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.3He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.4I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.5Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.6A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.7Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.8Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.9Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.10Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:11That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.12For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.13As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.14And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.15For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.16For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.17They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.18For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.19And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.20And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.21And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.22For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.23And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.24And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

English Standard Version

King James Version

1Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?3And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,4and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.5And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.6And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.7And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.9And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,12saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!14And the four living creatures said, Amen! and the elders fell down and worshiped.

1And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.2And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?3And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.4And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.5And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.6And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.7And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.8And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.13And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

English Standard Version

King James Version

1Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?3And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,4and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.5And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.6And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.7And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.9And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,12saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!14And the four living creatures said, Amen! and the elders fell down and worshiped.

1And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.2And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?3And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.4And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.5And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.6And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.7And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.8And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.13And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

1.To set right or compensate for a wrong done. 2.The bringing together (reconciling) of man and God through the offering of a sacrifice which acknowledges human wrongdoing.

The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament scriptures inherited from Judaism, together with the New Testament, drawn from writings produced from c.40-125CE, which describe the life of Jesus and the establishment of the Christian church.

The Bible describes God as the unique supreme being, creator and ruler of the universe.

A 'testament' is a covenant or binding agreement and is a term used in the Bible of God's relationship with his people). The sacred writings of Judaism (the Hebrew Bible). These also form the first part of the Christian Bible.

1. The giving up of something deeply valued
2. Offerings a worshipper gives to God to express devotion, gratitude, or the need for forgiveness.
3. In the Bible, the sacrifice is seen to take away guilt and blame.

The Old Testament frequently refers to Israel as the Promised Land allocated to God's children. Prophecies refer to it as his chosen nation and the one out of which the Messiah would come.

Disobedience to the known will of God. According to Christian theology human beings have displayed a pre-disposition to sin since the Fall of Humankind.

A person whose role is to carry out religious functions.

In the Old Testament, a live goat which symbolically carried the sins of the people into the desert on the Day of Atonement.

In the Old Testament wilderness is comparable to the word desert. It usually means a rocky, dry wasteland. It is also the traditional place of trial and temptation, as Jesus encountered after his baptism.

Old Testament prophet who lived in Jerusalem in the 7th century BCE, and prophesied under King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. He is regarded as one of the greatest Old Testament prophets.

An individual's sincere acknowledgement of their guilt, sinfulness and desire to seek forgiveness, especially the forgiveness of God.

Important word in the Bible which can have several meanings: a symbol of life; death (through the shedding of blood); guilt (having blood on one's hands); or sacrifice (as a way of bringing about forgiveness for sin).

A 'testament' is a covenant (binding agreement), a term used in the Bible of God's relationship with his people. The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible. Its name comes from the new covenant or relationship with God.

The name given to the man believed by Christians to be the Son of God. Also given the title Christ, meaning 'anointed one' or Messiah. His life is recorded most fully in the Four Gospels.

Title (eventually used as name) given to Jesus, refering to an anointed person set apart for a special task such as a king.

Literally, rising to life again. In the Bible it is specifically applied to Jesus Christ's coming to life after his crucifixion; and from thence, to the hope of all believers that after death, they will be raised to a new life in heaven.

In Christian belief, the redemption of humanity was achieved by Jesus who in his death on the cross made a complete sacrifice sufficient to pay for the sins of the world.

In many religions, the place where God dwells, and to which believers aspire after their death. Sometimes known as Paradise.

Name originally given to disciples of Jesus by outsiders and gradually adopted by the Early Church.

The central act of Christian worship in which bread and wine are consumed in the way that Jesus demonstrated at the Last Supper before his betrayal and death.

An act of remembrance in which Christians consume bread and wine in the way that Jesus demonstrated at the Last Supper before his betrayal and death.

The central religious service of the Roman Catholic Church, incorporating praise, intercession and readings from scripture. The central action is the consecration of the bread and wine by the priest.

1. Term meaning learner or follower.
2. Used in the New Testament in particularly of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
3. Now applied more generally to all Christians.

Wine was a popular drink in the ancient Near East because of the scarcity of drinkable water. In the Bible it is used as an image of:
1. Sustenance and life
2. The covenant blessings promised to Israel
3. Future blessings for God's people.

Bread is a basic food, a staple part of the daily diet in many countries. It can also have spiritual significance.

The book of prayers and church services first put together by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of King Edward VI (1547-53) for common (ie. general) use in English churches.

The 'Established' or state church of England, the result of a break with the Catholic church under Henry VIII and further developments in the reign of Elizabeth I.

The Anglican church is the 'Established' or state church of England, the result of a break with the Catholic church under Henry VIII and further developments in the reign of Elizabeth I.

Communication, either aloud or in the heart, with God.

The showing of pity and compassion; in particular, the grace and forgiveness offered by God to sinful humans if they repent of their wrong-doings.

1. Instrument of execution used in the Roman Empire.
2. The means by which Jesus Christ was put to death and therefore the primary symbol of the Christian faith, representing the way in which he is believed to have won forgiveness for humankind.

This is an example of apocalyptic literature, full of colourful imagery and symbolism. It contains seven letters to churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) who are commended for their zeal or criticised for lack of it. The overall message is that kingdom of God will triumph in the battle against evil and the book ends with a beautiful description of the Heavenly Jerusalem as the symbol of God's presence among humankind in a new heaven and earth.